Keith Lusher 01.12.26
Minnesota deer hunters have loads of causes to be ok with how the 2025 season wrapped up, with ultimate harvest numbers confirming what many noticed from the stand final fall. Based on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, hunters tagged 186,203 deer statewide, a 9% improve over 2024 and about 5 p.c above the 5 12 months common.
Good climate throughout key firearms weekends, bettering deer numbers, and stable rut timing all performed a job within the improve. Roughly half of Minnesota’s deer harvest usually comes in the course of the first two weekends of the firearms season, and situations lined up nicely in 2025 with cooler temperatures and restricted precipitation.
“We had an ideal deer harvest in most areas of the state this 12 months,” stated David Trauba, DNR wildlife part supervisor, noting that hunter success is a optimistic signal for each conservation and long run deer administration.
Regionally, the positive aspects have been widespread, although not uniform. Northeast Minnesota led the best way with a 14% improve over 2024, helped by two consecutive delicate winters that allowed deer numbers to rebound after a number of extreme years earlier within the decade. Northwest Minnesota adopted with a 9% improve, whereas central and southeast Minnesota have been each up about 8%. The southwest area posted a 6% improve and continued its development of constant harvests over the previous a number of seasons.
Wildlife managers cautioned that northern deer herds are nonetheless in restoration mode, and conservative bag limits stay in place in some areas. Even so, the upward development is encouraging for hunters who’ve waited by way of powerful winters and decrease deer numbers lately.
Archery hunters additionally performed a significant function within the general improve. The archery harvest was up 8% in comparison with 2024, with crossbows accounting for about half of all archery deer taken. Minnesota legalized crossbows for archery hunters in 2023, and participation has continued to develop since.
Hunters additionally confirmed robust participation in illness monitoring efforts. Almost 14,000 deer have been submitted for persistent losing illness testing in the course of the season, most in the course of the firearms opener. Preliminary outcomes present 117 optimistic detections statewide in 2025, with the bulk coming from southeast Minnesota. One optimistic buck was discovered exterior an present CWD administration zone in McLeod County.
DNR officers thanked hunters for submitting samples, emphasizing that hunter participation is vital to monitoring and managing CWD throughout the state. Hunters whose deer take a look at optimistic are notified immediately, and outcomes can be found by way of the DNR’s CWD Page
Trying forward, the DNR is asking hunters and non hunters alike to share suggestions on deer populations and searching experiences by way of a web-based questionnaire open by way of Feb. 23. For a lot of hunters, the 2025 season already delivered a transparent takeaway. In a lot of Minnesota, deer numbers are bettering, alternatives stay robust, and freezer area was nicely used final fall.
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